Living With Ian

Chapter 15

A week after Sarah had been discharged from the hospital; she was woken up one morning by Ian gently shaking her.

“Sarah,” he said softly. “Sarah, wake up. I need to talk to you about some things.” Sarah slowly opened her eyes.

“I just got off the phone with John. I really hate to do this but I can’t take any more time off of work. I have to go back to the gym today.” Sarah slowly nodded.

“Are you ok with that?” Ian asked. Sarah nodded but Ian could tell that something was wrong. He pulled her chin up to where she was looking at him.

“Tell me,” he said.

“I don’t want to be alone,” Sarah whispered. She hung her head in shame. She hated how weak she had been lately. She had relied on Ian for everything. All her life she had been independent because she couldn’t get help from anyone else. She had never needed help like she needed Ian’s and Sarah didn’t like feeling weak.

Ian wrapped her up in a tight hug.

“Why don’t you come to work with me?” he suggested. Sarah looked up at him. She nodded. Ian stood up.

“Get dressed,” he said. “We leave in half an hour.” Sarah nodded and got out of bed.

When they got to the gym, Sarah sat down at a table and watched as Ian stretched and warmed up. After about an hour, it was fairly crowded with plenty of sweaty men working out.

Sarah watched as Ian worked with someone. She saw him lift up a heavy weight and was aware of the way his muscles rippled from the strain.

She wondered what it would be like to feel how Ian felt. As if he was on top of the world and nothing could harm him. She wondered if he got those feelings from being so strong.

Sarah was snapped out of her daze as a man came up to her.

“Aren’t you a little young to be in here?” he asked. He looked down at her. “Let me guess, you have a hidden camera somewhere on you and are secretly filming us working out half naked.” Sarah raised her eyebrows at the man. His smirk reminded her of Ian.

“As if I would want any reminders of the trauma my eyes have suffered through by seeing you shirtless,” she said. The man raised his eyebrows at her.

“You’re a cheeky little thing,” he said. “I like you.”

“Garret, leave my sister alone,” Ian said as he came up behind them. Garret looked back at Sarah.

“So you’re the Sarah that Ian won’t shut up about?” Sarah looked over at Ian and he rolled his eyes.

“Sarah this is my good friend Garret. Please ignore anything that he says to you. He was dropped on his head as an infant.” Sarah smiled as she watched Garret scowl.

Once he had walked away, Ian sat down beside of her.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile in a long time,” he commented. “Was Garret’s crude humor what brought it out?”

“No,” said Sarah. “It was you acting normal.” She looked up at him. “You weren’t looking at me as if I was gonna break any second and you treated me like you used to before all of this shit happened.” Ian sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t want to get so overbearing on you, I’ve just been really worried.” Sarah nodded.

“I know. And I’m ok with that.” Ian smiled before he stood up and headed off to go help a guy lifting weights.

When they got home that evening, Ian threw a frozen pizza in the oven for them and then they sat down in the living room to watch TV while they ate.

That night, Sarah was laying in her room thinking about things when she heard Ian walk into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and walked out of her room.

She saw that he had just gotten out of the shower and was in the kitchen getting a glass of water.

“Ian?” she asked quietly. Ian turned around and looked at her.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“I’ve been thinking about stuff ever since we got home.” Ian nodded and sat down at the table in the kitchen. Sarah sat down with him.

“Could you train me?” she asked. Ian looked up at her. He had not been expecting that question to come from her mouth.

“What?” he asked.

“Could you train me?” Sarah repeated. “I watched the way you were at the gym today and I want to be strong like you. I don’t like feeling like this weak and vulnerable kid and I don’t want to feel like it anymore. So could you help me get strong?” Ian sighed.

“Sarah,” he said. “It’s not that easy. It took me years to build up the muscles that I have now and it’s different for girls.” Sarah nodded. “But, I understand what you’re feeling because I have felt it before too.”

“Really?” Ian nodded.

“I’ll help you build up your muscles a little bit and I’ll train you in self-defense. That way, if you ever got into a situation like you were in with Chris, you’d know what to do.” Sarah nodded.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Now go to bed. Your training starts tomorrow.”